In the field of orthopedic treatment and surgery, implants are frequently attached to bones or other tissue so as to provide treatment or correction for orthopedic injuries or abnormal conditions. For example, in treatment of spinal abnormalities such as scoliosis, implants such as bone hooks or bone screws may be attached to or implanted within individual vertebrae. Following adjustment of the vertebrae to a desired curvature or position, such bone hooks or screws may be immobilized with respect to each other by way of a rod, bar, plate, or other relatively rigid structure. The rod or other structure maintains the bones, by way of the implants, in the desired position, supporting the patient's anatomy in at least some approximation of normalcy.
Commonly, tools are provided to assist the surgeon in completing the repositioning and immobilization or control of the repositioned vertebrae or other bones or tissue. In a spinal surgery, for example, once the spinal hooks, screws, or clamps are attached to vertebrae, a trial may be provided to compress (move together) or distract (move apart) the implants, and therefore the vertebrae to which they are attached. A compressor tool, for example, may have end portions that are spaced relatively distant from each other and configured to attach to a portion of a spinal implant. When such end portions are brought together, the implants and their respective vertebrae are brought together, compressing the vertebrae or reducing the space between them. Conversely, in a distractor tool two end portions may be provided that are abutting, adjacent, or relatively close together and are configured to abut, connect, or attach to parts of such spinal implants. When the end portions are moved away from each other, they cause the implants and their respective vertebrae to be distracted, that is, moved apart.
Other tools are also known for orthopedic surgery. For example, in spinal corrective surgery a rod, bar, plate, or other connection between bone screws or other implants may include one or more bends, in order that the instrumented vertebrae be maintained in a particular relationship or curvature. If an orthopedic surgeon wishes to support or correct a spine portion which in a normal anatomy would include both kyphotic and lordotic, curvatures, for instance, the surgeon may wish to bend an initially substantially straight rod so that, it approximates both types of curvature. Accordingly, rod-bending tools, commonly known as “benders,” have been developed.
Previously, tools for orthopedic surgery have had but one use. Thus, in order to have all treatment options available to an orthopedic surgeon, all the potentially necessary tools are provided to or available to the surgeon, even though the surgeon might not, in fact, need all such tools for the given patient. Frequently such tools are provided newly manufactured, despite the fact that they may not all be needed. The surgeon or his team is forced to look among the unnecessary tools for the necessary tool during the surgical procedure.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field for instrumentation that overcomes such inefficiencies.